Ice-fishing shelter



March 27, 1951 F. DICKERSON 2,546,730

ICE-FISHING SHELTER Filed June l5, 1948 ttomegs Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES` PATENT OFFICE Ion-FISHING SHELTER Fred Dickerson, Bellaire, Mich. Application June 15. 194s, serial No. 33,207

2 Claims. l

This invention. relates to portable shelters and, in particular, to ice-fishing shelters.

One object of this invention is to provide an ice-fishing shelter which is collapsible into small space for transportation or storage, yet which is also quickly and easily unfolded into a shelter of ample size for the protection of the fisherman against exposure to the weather.

Another object is to provide an ice-lis'hing lshelter which is supported by collapsible bows .rising from. a framework` having runners for transporting the shelter across the snow or ice.

Another object is to provide an ice-nshing shelter having a collapsible framework for supporting a tent which gives ample protection to the fisherman, the framework 'which supports l'the tentalso serving to provide a seat for the sherman.

Another object is to provide an ice-shing shelter consisting of a toboggan or sled-like structure having runners from which foldable bows rise and against which these bows may be folded down in order to provide a hat, compact and light-weight bundle.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ice-fishing shelter, according to a preferred form of the invention, withl the tent omitted and with the supporting structure shown in its unfolded position just prior to .lifting the shelter up on end into its position of use;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the ice-shing shelter shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the ice-fishing shelter shown in Figures l and 2 in its nearly collapsed position, ready for transportation or storage;

Figure e is a fragmentary vertical section along the line 4-4 in Figure 1, showing a portion of in order not to conceal the details of the supporting structure 1, but its walls are indicated by chain lines. rIhese show the .tent 8 as having sides 9, an end wall Il! which becomes the top when the shelter as shown in Figure 1 'is set upl on its right-hand end in order rto be used,. and an upper wall II which becomes Aa front wall in the position of use, as explained below in connection with the operation and use 'oi'. the shelter. The tent 8 is .preferably made' of ycan/vas or other suit-l able exible material which is waterproof `and windproof. The right-hand end Figure 1) of the shelter is left open and without canvas since, as explained below, it becomes the bottom of the shelter and rests on the ice or ground during use, when the shelter is swung up on end into its position of use.

The supporting structure 'I includes a pairL of runners I3 having upwardly turned forward ends I4 and provided with a bottom surface I5 of sheet metal or other suitable wearand frictionreducing material. The upper ends of the upturned portions I4 are notched as at I1 to receive a forward cross member I8 interconnecting the runners I3 at their forward ends. The runners I3 at their rearward ends l@ are cut off at an inclination to the vertical and. are there interconnected by a cross member 20. Secured to the r`runners I3 and cross member 20 adjacent the rearward ends I9 .are upwardly-inclined brackets ZI upon which the side members' 2E of a rearward top bowv 23 are pivoted, as at 24. The upper' ends of the side members 22 are interconnected by an upper cross member 25.

The rearward topbow 23 is provided with inclined foldable braces 26 at its opposite sides pivoted thereto as at 2T. The lower ends ofthe inclined braces 26 are pivoted as at 28 to a pair of vertical brackets 2K9 secured to the runners I3 at approximately their midportions. The inclined braces 2S consist of` upper and lower links 3i) and 3l pivoted together as at 32. The pivots 32 also have vertical struts 33 connected thereto,

the bottom ends of these vertical struts 33 being interconnected by an intermediate cross member it (Figures 1, 3 and. 4). Secured to these members are spring clips 35 which yieldingly engage a horizontal lower cross-member 36 mounted in notches 3l in the upper edges of the runners I3 l 40 and 4| secured lto the struts 33 and upper and lower cross members 38 (Figure 4). The plate 39 a formsv a seat for thev fisherman when the structure isset `up on end into its position of use, 'as explained below. 1

Secured to the runners I3 forwardly' of the brackets 2'9 are blocks `4.5 (Figure 2l through which pass pivot pins 46. 'The latter pass through and pivotally support the lower yends of lower links 41 which lett-'their upperends are pivoted as at 48 to upper links 49, the links 48 and 49 collectively forming the forward top bow U. The upper links 49 at their upper ends are interconnected by a cross member 5I having blocks 52 mounted in the corner angles thereof. The lower ends of the upper links 49 extend downward alongl the lower links 41 and are provided with pivot pins 53 to which are pivoted locking mem-l bers 54 (Figure 5) of approximately U-shaped form having their side portions spanning across the adjacent edges of the links 4'! and 48 at the locations where they overlap, so as to prevent them from accidentallyfolding up. The upper links 49 are provided with notches 55 positioned at the proper location to receive the forward edge of the cross member 25 when the rearward top bow 22 is swung downward into its collapsed position, which it is nearing in Figure 3.

x Two straps 56 attached between the cross .members I8 and 5I serve to hold the forward top bow .50 in position when the shelter is raised to its position of use, so that the canvas of the tent 8 has no part in supporting the framework. Access to the tent 8 is gained by a slide-back curtain (not shown) across the front wall II of the tent 8.

sition of Figure 3 to thatof Figure l, at the same time assisting the unfolding oi the braces 28 by -grasping themk at the junctions of the links 3i) and 43|4 and pulling upward thereon. The struts 33 are, then swung downward and rearward and the clips 35 snapped over the cross lmember 35 (Figures 1 and 4).

The operator now grasps the upper cross member 5I of the forward top bow 58 and swings it upward and forward, causing the lower portions of the links 49 to extend along the upper portions of the links 4l. When these are in alignment, he swings the locking members 54 sidewise in an outward direction until their side portions span the edges of the links' 47 and 49 and lock them in the positions shown in Figures l and 2. When this is done, the straps 56 serve to hold'the top bow 50 in its proper position, taking any strain oif of the canvas tent I2. The latter has, of course, un-

folded at the same time that the foregoing opera- -z1tions were being performed and now occupies the position shown by the chain line in Figure l,

A'along with the straps 55. The user now swings the shelter 8 from the horizontal position shown in-Figure 1 to a vertical position "with the rear top bow 23'fresting on the' ground or ice.

f To collapse the structure, the operator re- .verses the foregoingprocedure.' Hefirst'swings the locking members 51E; inward toward-V one another from theirpositionsspanning the links 41 and 9,'after which he'breaks the'togg'le-like or' elbow connection at the pivots 48 and swings the lower links 47 toward the rearward ends of runners l3. As this occurs, the links il swing rearlwardly and downwardly until they lie alongside comes to rest upon the upper edges'of the runners The operator then grasps the lower ends of the .-the -runners I3, at which time the cross member -5I at the upper end of theforward top bow 50 the elbow joint formed by the links 30 and 3| at the pivots 32 by pushing the llatter downward and rearward. When this is done, the operator has terminated the rigidity of the braces 26 so that the rearward top bow 23 can be swung forward and downward by grasping the top cross member 25 and swinging it downward and forward into the position shown in Figure 3, continuing it beyond this position until the cross member 25 comes to rest in the notches 55. The straps 55 and tent I 2 fold naturally downward while these operations are being carried out. The device is now ready for transportation or stowage or is in position to be drawn over the ice to another location.

While the invention has been described as emi bodied in an ice-fishing shelter, it will also be apparent that the device is also well-adapted for use by hunters, trappers, timber cruisers or other outdoorsmen who travel long distances over-snow or ice and who require or are greatly benefitted by shelter without having to take time to erect a tent or hut.

In the following claims, where the term sled is used, the word toboggan is to be considered as interchangeable therewith.

What I claim is: y

1. A foldable ice-fishing shelter comprising' a sled, a pair of approximately U-shaped supports spaced longitudinally from one another along said sled and having their free ends pivotally connected to said sled and swingable selectively from folded positions alongside said sled to extended positions projecting outward from said sled, `a tent-like cover of flexible material disposed over said supports and connected to said sled, one.`of said supports beingpivotally connected to said sled near one end thereof, a bracing structure `foldably connecting said last-mentioned support to said sled at a location remote from said one rend or said sled, and a cross member disposed positions projecting outward from said sled, a

tent-like cover of exible material disposed over said supports and connected to said sled, one of said supports being-pivotally connected 'to said sled near one endA thereof and extending 'su-bstantially perpendicular to said sled whereby-toI serve as a base for said shelter when'said sle vis raised to an upright position with said sle forming a side wall of said shelter, a bracing structure foldably connecting said last-mentioned support to saidsled, and -a cross member disposed transversely to said sled and secured at itsop-v posite ends to said bracing structure. 1 FRED DCKERSON.'

REFERENCES CITED The following references are v of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED .sfrATs ,PATENTS 

